The menu here had lots of choice and it took us a fair bit of deliberation before deciding what to have. La Casa offers a mix Mediterranean dishes, with Spanish and Greek being most prevalent. As usual with tapas, the plates came out when ready, although we were a little surprised that the bruschetta was the last thing to arrive.

Pulpo – La Casa

The best dish for me was the pulpo, which was an octopus and potato dish. This was just amazing and the plate of food I keep thinking about a few weeks later. The tentacles could put some people off, visually, but I thought they looked beautiful. The texture was great and worked really well with the potatoes, which were soft and golden.

Halloumi – La Casa

My two dining companions both had the halloumi and raved about how good it was. Three large slices of the cheese had been griddled and served with a salad. This was a very generous portion and gave them both a satisfying cheese hit.

Calamari – La Casa

Gambas pil pil – La Casa

The rest of the seafood – the calamari and the gambas pil pil – were both really good. The quality was high and were cooked well. The calamari came with a small side salad and a lovely dish of aioli, which was delicious.

Croquettas de Serrano – La Casa

Loukanika – La Casa

The croquettas also got the thumbs up. These were also served with aioli. The loukanika was interesting. The Greek pork sausage lacked a little texture but still had good flavour. The accompanying leeks and peppers made the stew feel quite homely.

Bruschetta – La Casa

The bruschetta, as mentioned earlier, arrived last. The bread was brown which was a surprise. It was a little underwhelming and could have done with some onion and more basil in it. Perfectly edible though.

Churros – La Casa

Cake – La Casa

I was way too stuffed for dessert (partly because I’d had one more dish than the other two). My friends decided to order churros and the cake special. The churros looked a touch anemic and felt a little greasy. The chocolate dip was good though. The cake was quite sodden with honey, but it still all disappeared in a flurry.

Service – 8/10
The service was friendly and helpful. We were not rushed out, even though the restaurant was getting full.

Atmosphere- 8/10
We had a relatively early booking but this place got bustling fairly quickly. There was a friendly vibe here which made it great for relaxed dining. Some of the tables were packed a little closely together but it wasn’t too bad.

Value – 8/10
Some plates are better value than others but overall it was pretty reasonable for all the food we ate.

Cost £83.

Overall – 32/40

Would I eat here again? Definitely. I want that octopus again and there are other things I’d like to try.